You: the pronoun here is singular in form, so some translators prefer to render it “Each Israelite…” (Bible en français courant). But naturalness in the receptor language should be the determining factor in deciding whether to say “You people…” or “Each one of you….” One commentator states that “the Israelites as a nation are addressed in the person of their chiefs” (that is, the priests).

Consecrate: the root word here is the same as for holy and sanctify. But the form used gives the idea of “regard as holy” (New International Version) or “treat as holy” (New Jerusalem Bible and New Jerusalem Bible). Revised Standard Version may give the wrong idea that a rite of consecration is involved, similar to ordination.

Bread: see verse 6.

Be holy … sanctify: the two verbs are closely related. The second is the causative form of the first. The verb be holy describes a state, while sanctify means “to make holy” or “cause to be holy.” On the meaning of holy, see 2.3.

You: while the other cases of the pronoun in this verse are singular, the final occurrence of the English pronoun you corresponds to the second person plural in Hebrew. It clearly refers to the whole community of Israel. So Good News Translation has rendered it “my people.” Some versions follow a different text at this point and read “I … sanctify them” (New English Bible and An American Translation). But this is not recommended.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .